Economy gastronomy: chickpea week

This post should really be titled 'how not to shop'. My list yesterday took me to 3 different supermarkets- time saving approach to shopping I think not. Our nearest shops are Aldi and M&S, a thrifty yet snobby shoppers dream come true. But I needed tahini paste and I knew neither of them would have it. Everything else I can get from Aldi...or so I thought. I went to buy minced beef and couldn't. Don't get me wrong there was plenty of it in stock I just COULDN'T. Not after all this horse meat chat. I know that so far it's just been cheap products that contain beef (except they don't they contain horse...) but still. At this point I could still have kept the supermarket count down to two but I could hear my mother (in my head) 'it's not worth the risk'. It's fine I'll just pop next door to M&S. 

I went to get the ricotta. Aldi had none. It's okay I'm going to M&S now anyway so I'll get it there.
Paid for my shopping. £28.93 whoop! (it included nappies)
Mince beef in M&S £4.49. It was £2.19 next door. In M&S it's part of that deal should I get 3 packs?! No I'll go back next door. No I won't. I'll get the expensive mince, it'll do two meals and sure by the time you've divided it in two and then into 2 adult and 1 baby sized portion sure that's hardly anything.

On to the ricotta. They have none. Ahhhh! I could've got it in Sainsbury's. Wasn't to know. I'll pop in to Morrison it's not THAT far away. Four supermarkets in one week. (not to mention that I took baby for a day trip to Asda-don't ask). I was determined to finish shopping. This wasn't going how I had planned it. I asked the lady stacking the cheese if she knew of an alternative to ricotta (what even is ricotta?) I know it's soft cheese so we both thought just regular soft cheese. I check the price. It's cheaper in Aldi. Help! She asks her colleague who enjoys cooking, he recommends goats cheese but I'm sure that's not going to work...at least not in this recipe. So kind of her to ask someone else so awkward now that I have to buy a cheese. I thank them SO much for the assistance and potter off until neither are standing there any more. I panic and grab a pot of mascarpone (?!) and run for the checkout. Two items came to over 7 quid!. I'll not tell husband. 7 quid. I suppose that's the price you pay for trying to be cheap and then flapping!

I told husband, ran the mascarpone idea past him before admitting that's what I'd gone for. He said it's more of a desert cheese. Too late. He doesn't seem too fussed. In fact he looks dubious about this whole 'chickpea themed' week anyway. Who's to blame him. 


Checked recipe book THEY suggest three chickpea recipes in one week is a bit overkill.


Will plough on in spite of advice.